Confidence Camp
The next day you awoke, ready to take on the challenge of helping Fluttershy gain her confidence. You certainly didn’t want to change her entirely, just so she could speak to others more easily. She seemed willing to let go of her past and to allow you to help her. You just hoped that what you were going to try wouldn’t backfire, making her more frightened or shy than she was now.
The morning went by without incident. There was no awkward meeting outside the bathroom, something that you still felt embarrassed about and yet somehow made you feel happy as well which only added to the embarrassment. After all you didn’t see her as someone you could be attracted to, right? At breakfast you saw a change in the pink haired girl sitting across from you. She seemed to light up when you were in the same room smiling her cute smile while she ate. You guessed that her change in personality was due to her finally being able to open up to someone without them laughing at her or ignoring her. It was like a weight had been lifted off the girl’s shoulders and if she had wings like her yellow Pegasus counterpart you’d swear she’d be flying around the room now! Although you didn’t want to boast about it, being a friend to her was probably another reason for her happiness. You found that when she was happy so were you.
The morning was fairly routine as you helped with the animals. As you did, you imagined the Everfree Animal Sanctuary not as it was but how Fluttershy envisioned it to be. The girl had such high hopes for the place and you hoped that you could help her achieve it somehow. In your mind Fluttershy was in her moment of happiness helping out animals and having a better place to care for them and teach others would only multiply her happiness. The more you thought about the more you realized how much you cared for Fluttershy’s wellbeing, especially her happiness, a strange fact considering that you only just met her a few days ago.
Lunchtime rolled around even quicker than the day before, a fact that you could only attribute to having fun. Aside from feeding the animals again in the afternoon, the rest of the day was free for you to help Fluttershy overcome her shyness. She seemed eager still to do so, maybe even looking a little nervous to you as she ate her lunch as she prepared for the inevitably of your helping her and the unknown of what was to take place.
“So, Fluttershy, are you ready?”
“I think so,” she said, “I am kind of nervous though.”
“Why are you nervous,” you ask.
“What if I fail this? What if I don’t get better at being more confident?”
“Ah don’t worry. This isn’t going to be like a test, so you can’t fail anything. This is just to help you with overcoming your shyness so that you can help raise funds for thee animal sanctuary. I promise that no matter what I’m not going to get upset with you, ok?”
“Ok,” she said, “So when do we start?”
“Right now,” you said with a smile, “Now for starters, I want you to introduce yourself just as you would to someone you never met before.“
“Ok,” she said pausing for a few seconds to gather her thoughts as you waited patiently, “Um… hello. My name is Fluttershy. I like animals, the colors pink and yellow, and the outdoors. So… um… hope to meet you again. That is… if you want to.”
“Ok,” you said after listening to her introduction, “You seem to have some things down, but you kind of just explained what you like rather than who you are.”
“Sorry,” Fluttershy said.
“No, you shouldn’t be sorry,” you said which made Fluttershy squeak with surprise.
“I… I’m not sorry?”
“No… well what I mean is that even if you are sorry, you don’t have to apologize for every little thing. Like what would you do if I accidentally bumped into you?”
“I’d say sorry?”
“See, but you don’t have to. I know you’re trying to be kind and all, but you don’t have to go through life like it’s your entire fault.”
“But, what if someone gets mad at me,” Fluttershy said looking down at the table.
“Trust me they won’t. I mean how can someone get mad at you and stay that way? And if they get mad, well they’re probably a person you don’t want to meet. So don’t apologize for everything. Just the stuff that’s major like if you broke something or hurt someone.”
“Oh, but I would never do that,” Fluttershy said looking surprised that you would even think of her doing those things. You were surprised that there was a girl so innocent that she wouldn’t even see accidents occurring.
“It was just an example,” you said with a shrug, “Anyway, how about you describe yourself to me.”
“Well, I’m 5’6” and weigh 125 pounds. I’m White with pink hair and blue eyes. I don’t have any piercings, and I also don’t have any tattoos. Well except for one...”
“Wait,” you interjected, “you have a tattoo?”
“Um… yes actually,” she said as she started to look a little nervous.
“What is it?”
“It a butterfly, but I can’t show it to you. It’s somewhere… private.”
With that Fluttershy nervously shifted in her seat hoping that you didn’t ask about it again. For a moment your eyes wandered her form, wondering where this tattoo was. You knew what it meant by private with others, but for Fluttershy you didn’t know if it meant somewhere else.
“Um… what are you doing,” she asked.
“Doing what,” you said oblivious to the fact you were still looking at her body like a person looks at a piece of art.
“You’re … staring at me. Is it something I said?”
“Oh,” you said as you started to get embarrassed, “I’m not staring at you… er… I’m not saying that you shouldn’t be stared at…”
Seeing how she looked at you like you lost your mind, you tried to redirect the conversation, “Anyway, you told me about yourself with how you look, but people can already see that… er…. except for the tattoo. What people want to know about you is your personality. So let’s simplify this: what words would you use to describe your personality? Don’t say shy though, as we’re trying to remove that from who you are.”
“Well… I’m kind … and I guess fairly smart… and I’m really friendly to others.”
“Yes, good,” you said with a smile, “Keep going.”
“Oh and I don’t like to judge others and I don’t really hate anyone, just really, really, dislike. And is someone is willing to take me as I am than I will really like that!”
You could see Fluttershy’s demeanor change dramatically when she finished. She seemed to stand a little taller, proud for who she was. Her face didn’t look fearful but confident, something you didn’t see until now.
“So… did I do a good job,” she asked
“You did a great job Fluttershy! That’s exactly what people want to know about you. So if you ever have someone bad say anything about you or if you feel sad, remember those things that you like about yourself.”
“So are we doing anything else today with helping my confidence?”
“Well I think we have time for one more thing,” you said, “follow me.”
With that you left the cottage with Fluttershy walking besides you as you were about to try something you learned from My Little Pony that you hoped would help your friend.